Referred adolescents as young adults: the relationship between psychosocial functioning and personality disorder.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the functioning of young adults who had been referred for psychiatric treatment during adolescence.

METHOD: A group of 145 adolescents referred at a mean age of 14 years were interviewed at a mean age of 20 years to ascertain their functioning and whether they suffered from a personality disorder.

RESULTS

Having a personality disorder was associated with poor functioning at follow-up independently of adolescent diagnosis. Antisocial personalities were typified by problems with the law, a poor work record and early cohabitation, while other personality disorders were characterised by social isolation and problems in interpersonal relationships. Poor quality of the family environment and having received treatment during the follow-up period were the only developmental variables associated with poor functioning.

CONCLUSIONS

Developing a personality disorder and having a poor family environment, rather than having an adolescent disorder, appear to be the factors that result in poor functioning in young adults.